FOOTBALL: Tigers to tangle with defending champs

Edwardsville’s Dionte Rodgers, bottom, and Adam Foster team up to tackle a West Aurora ball carrier in the first half of second-round action.

Edwardsville’s Dionte Rodgers, bottom, and Adam Foster team up to tackle a West Aurora ball carrier in the first half of second-round action.

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Matt Kamp/Intelligencer

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Matt Kamp/Intelligencer

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Edwardsville’s Dionte Rodgers, bottom, and Adam Foster team up to tackle a West Aurora ball carrier in the first half of second-round action.

Edwardsville’s Dionte Rodgers, bottom, and Adam Foster team up to tackle a West Aurora ball carrier in the first half of second-round action.

Photo:

Matt Kamp/Intelligencer

FOOTBALL: Tigers to tangle with defending champs

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FRANKFORT — Before the start of the Class 8A postseason, Edwardsville coach Matt Martin offered his analysis of the 32 teams.

“Class 8A is unique,” Martin said on Oct. 21. “Everybody is very similar except a couple of teams. If you can play well, you have a chance. From Round 1 (to the championship game), it is very difficult. There are no free passes.”

Edwardsville’s quarterfinal opponent Saturday is one of those exceptions.

The 23rd-seeded Tigers (8-3) will travel to second-seeded Lincoln-Way East (11-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday for quarterfinal action.

The Griffins are the defending state champions in Class 8A and they enter with a 25-game winning streak. Their last loss was to Park Ridge Maine South in the quarterfinals in 2016.

“Lincoln-Way East is one of those upper-echelon teams,” Martin said. “They are pretty special. They are probably the best all-around team we’ve seen all year.

“They have a lot of kids with a lot of depth and a good coaching staff with great experience. They have tradition. Kids don’t take plays off and they execute.”

This season, Lincoln-Way East has outscored opponents 508-56, including 94-0 in the postseason with shutouts of St. Charles East and Glenbard West.

The shutouts were the sixth and seventh of the season for the Griffins, who haven’t allowed a point since the fourth quarter of a 56-18 win over Thornwood on Oct. 11.

The defense has 35 sacks, including a team-high eight from defensive end Mick Stewart (6-2, 215) and six from defensive tackle Dylan Shelton (6-1, 230).

Strong safety Kenny Palmer leads the defense with five interceptions. As a team, the Griffins have 23 turnovers.

“If you’re playing the compare game, defensively they are like East St. Louis as far as their speed and physicality,” Martin said. “We have to win the turnover battle.”

Edwardsville will counter with an offense that’s averaging 43 points and led by quarterback Kendall Abdur-Rahman, running back Justin Johnson and wide receiver Dionte Rodgers.

Abdur-Rahman has 1,087 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in his senior season, with Johnson leading the ground attack with 1,123 yards and 12 touchdowns after a career-high 224 yards in a 45-14 second-round win over West Aurora.

Of Abdur-Rahman’s 18 touchdowns, 10 have come from at least 40 yards. He has five touchdown runs of 80 yards or more, including his season high of 83 in Week 2 against CBC.

Rodgers, who can also line up in the backfield, has team highs in receptions (23), yards (388) and receiving touchdowns (five).

After torching a West Aurora defense allowing only 7.9 points per game for 500-plus yards and 45 points, the EHS offense faces a defense that’s been scored on in just four games this season.

For as good as the Griffins are on defense, they are just as loaded on offense.

Lincoln-Way East is averaging 46.2 points and 419 yards per game. The offense has eclipsed 400 yards five times, including a season-high 575 in Week 7.

“They are like CBC on offense,” Martin said.

Illinois State recruit and quarterback Jack Baltz has thrown for 1,766 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 98-of-159 passing.

“Their receivers each have their own highlight reels in catches. The quarterback really trusts them. He’ll throw it up to any of them and trusts they’ll go up and make the plays,” Martin said.

Devon Williams leads the rushing attack with 922 yards and 15 touchdowns on 104 carries, while Jordan Corbett has 561 yards and seven touchdowns on 80 carries and A.J. Henning has 135 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

Henning, who has battled injuries, is a four-star recruit and the No. 1 junior in the state according to Rivals. He already has 25 Division I offers.

The Edwardsville defense allowed 339 yards to West Aurora and forced three turnovers. The Tigers have forced eight turnovers in two postseason games.

Saturday’s winner advances to the semifinals to face the winner of 19th-seeded Loyola Academy (8-3) and sixth-seeded Maine South (10-1).

Edwardsville is the highest seed left in the Class 8A quarterfinals for the second straight season. Last year, the Tigers advanced to the semifinals. They are one win away from a return trip, but Martin said there is still plenty of work to do.

“We are playing well. We can play better and that is our goal,” Martin said. “We can’t make the mistakes we’ve made in past games.”